Apparatus and methods for purifying and sorting textile fibers by length using focused energy fields

Abstract

An arrangement for sorting a first category of fibers having a first set of properties into at least a second category of fibers having a second set of properties and a third category of fibers having a third set of properties. The arrangement comprises a sorting channel including at least one travelling teeth laden carrier surface driven in a first direction within the sorting channel. The sorting channel further includes at least a first inlet and at least first and second outlets. A first energy field flows through the sorting channel in a second direction. The first category of fibers are plied to the travelling teeth carried on the driven carrier surface and the first energy field causes at least the longer fibers from the first category to be held latched onto the travelling teeth as it washes and strips away shorter fibers and impurities producing the second category of fibers. As the first energy field exits the sorting channel through the first outlet it also acts as a first doffer for removing the stripped shorter fibers and impurities out of the sorting channel. These non-latched fibers and impurities comprise the third category of fibers. A second doffer is provided for doffing the latched second category of fibers from the travelling teeth after these fibers are carried out of the sorting channel through the second outlet by the travelling teeth.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for sorting a first category of fibers having a first set of properties into at least a second category of fibers having a second set of properties and a third category of fibers having a third set of properties, said apparatus comprising: a sorting channel including at least one travelling teeth laden carrier surface driven in a first direction within said sorting channel to provide travelling teeth which pass into, through and out of said sorting channel, said sorting channel further including at least a first inlet and at least first and second outlets;   an air propelling device producing a first energy field flowing through said sorting channel in a second direction generally opposite to said first direction;   said first energy field engaging said first category of fibers to hold at least longer fibers included with said first category of fibers latched onto said travelling teeth passing through said sorting channel, said latched at least longer fibers comprising fibers that have a mean length greater than the mean length of said first category of fibers, said first energy field concurrently washing, teasing, and stripping shorter fibers and impurities included with said first category of fibers away from said latched at least longer fibers, said latched at least longer fibers forming said second category of fibers and said stripped shorter fibers and impurities forming said third category of fibers, said first energy field further acting as a first doffer as said first energy field removes said third category of fibers from said sorting channel; and   a second doffer for doffing said second category of fibers from said travelling teeth after said travelling teeth pass through said sorting channel.   
     
     
       2. The apparatus of claim 1 including at least one fiber plying device for plying said first category of fibers to said travelling teeth. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of claim 1 including ducting communicating said sorting channel with said air propelling device, said ducting configured to cause said first energy field to exhibit generally two-dimensional flow characteristics within said sorting channel. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of claim 1 including at least one second sorting channel also having travelling teeth, at least a first inlet and at least first and second outlets, said first inlet of said at least one second sorting channel communicating with a first outlet of a preceding sorting channel; whereby the third category of fibers produced in a preceding sorting channel may be sorted at least a second time. 
     
     
       5. The device of claim 4 wherein said second outlet of said at least one second sorting channel communicates with a fiber doffer. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said first outlet of said at least second sorting channel communicates with a condenser which further separates fibers, dust and trash from said first energy field. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of claim 1 including at least one second sorting channel also having travelling teeth, at least a first inlet and at least first and second outlets, said first inlet of said at least one second sorting channel communicating with said second outlet of a preceding sorting channel; whereby the second category of fibers produced in a preceding sorting channel may be sorted at least a second time. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of claim 1 including a fiber opening device which opens and plies said first category of fibers to said travelling teeth via direct mechanical transfer. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of claim 1 including a fiber opening device which opens and plies said first category of fibers to said travelling teeth in the form of a fog of fibers. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of claim 1 including a fiber opening device comprising a carding machine having a carding cylinder. 
     
     
       11. The device of claim 10 wherein said carding machine includes a doffing channel, said doffing channel being disposed adjacent a portion of the periphery of said carding cylinder. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said doffing channel communicates with said first inlet; whereby said first energy field is passed through the teeth of said carding cylinder doffing and transporting said first category of fibers into said first inlet. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said teeth laden carrier is comprised of a carding cylinder of a carding machine. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of claim 1 including a fiber feed, said fiber feed including a fiber opening cylinder for opening said first category of fibers and a fiber doffer for doffing said first category of fibers from said opening cylinder. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said fiber doffer for doffing said first category of fibers from said opening cylinder includes said first energy field which removes said first category of fibers from said opening cylinder and plies said first category of fibers to said travelling teeth in the form of a fog of fibers. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said sorting channel includes a sorting area arranged adjacent that portion of said travelling teeth laden surface where said fog of fibers engage with said travelling teeth. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said second doffer includes a second energy field. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said travelling teeth laden surface comprises a carding cylinder of a carding machine and said second doffer comprises a doffer cylinder clothed with teeth for removing said second category of fibers from said carding cylinder. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of claim 1 including a condenser communicating with said first outlet for intercepting impurities and short fibers transported with said first energy field. 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of claim 19 including transport ducting, said transport ducting communicating said condenser with said first inlet; whereby said first energy field may be reintroduced to said first inlet in a closed-loop or recirculating manner. 
     
     
       21. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said second doffer includes teeth carried on a second travelling surface. 
     
     
       22. The apparatus of claim 1 including a feed channel communicating with said first inlet, said feed channel being oriented relative to said travelling carrier surface to cause said first category of fibers carried with said first energy field to strike said travelling carrier surface non-tangentially; whereby said second category of fibers passing through said second outlet is caused to be comprised primarily of both long and short fibers and said third category of fibers passing through said first outlet is caused to be comprised substantially of fiber fragments, dust, and trash particles. 
     
     
       23. The apparatus of claim 1 including a pivoted feed channel communicating with said first inlet; whereby said first category of fibers carried with said first energy field can be selectively oriented to strike said travelling carrier surface tangentially and non-tangentially. 
     
     
       24. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said teeth have a projecting length from said carrier surface ranging between 1/32 inch (0.79 mm) and 1 inch (25.4 mm) and a surface density ranging between 1/2 tooth and 245 teeth per square inch (6.5 square cm). 
     
     
       25. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said travelling carrier surface is driven at a surface speed ranging between 23 feet (7 meters) per minute and 6,900 feet (2,103 meters) per minute, said speed of said travelling carrier surface being primarily determined by the length and surface density of said teeth, the properties of said first category of fibers, and the preferred amount of said second category of fibers to be latched onto said travelling teeth. 
     
     
       26. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said teeth are arranged over said driven carrier surface at an angle inclined toward said first direction within said sorting channel. 
     
     
       27. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said teeth laden carrier surface is comprised of a belt. 
     
     
       28. The apparatus of claim 1 including a control plate arranged adjacent to the tips of a portion of said travelling teeth, said control plate having a first surface defining a portion of said first inlet and a second surface defining a portion of said second outlet. 
     
     
       29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said control plate has a thickness at least equal to one quarter of the mean length of the fibers comprising said first category of fibers. 
     
     
       30. A method of sorting fibers of a first category into at least second and third categories comprising; driving a teeth laden carrier surface in a first direction through a sorting channel having at least a first inlet and at least first and second outlets, thereby providing travelling teeth passing into, through, and out of said sorting channel;   creating at least a first energy field and directing said first energy field to flow through said sorting channel in a second direction that is generally opposite to said first direction;   plying said first category of fibers to said travelling teeth;   using said first energy field to hold at least longer length fibers included with said first category of fibers latched onto said travelling teeth within said sorting channel, producing said second category of fibers;   concurrently using said first energy field within said sorting channel for washing, teasing, and stripping shorter length fibers and impurities included with said first category of fibers away from said latched second category of fibers, producing said third category of fibers;   further using said first energy field to remove said third category of fibers from said sorting channel; and   doffing said second category of fibers from said travelling teeth after said travelling teeth pass through said sorting channel.   
     
     
       31. The method of claim 30 including generating a fog of fibers of said first category for plying said first category of fibers to said travelling teeth. 
     
     
       32. The method of claim 30 including opening said first category of fibers and mechanically transferring said first category of fibers to said travelling teeth. 
     
     
       33. The method of claim 30 including carding said first category of fibers prior to introducing said first category of fibers to said first energy field. 
     
     
       34. The method of claim 30 including passing said third category of fibers through said first outlet and into a succeeding sorting channel having travelling teeth. 
     
     
       35. The method of claim 30 including passing said second category fibers through said second outlet and into a succeeding sorting channel having travelling teeth. 
     
     
       36. The method of claim 30 including creating a second energy field for doffing said second of category fibers from said travelling teeth. 
     
     
       37. The method of claim 36 including communicating at least said second energy field back to said travelling teeth in a closed-loop or recirculating manner. 
     
     
       38. The method of claim 30 including communicating at least said first energy field from said first outlet back to said first inlet in a closed-loop or recirculating manner. 
     
     
       39. The method of claim 30 including providing a feed channel communicating with said first inlet and orienting said feed channel to cause said first category of fibers to strike said driven carrier surface non-tangentially, thereby causing said second category of fibers passing through said second outlet to be comprised of both longer and shorter fibers of said first category of fibers and said third category of fibers passing through said first outlet to be comprised primarily of dust, trash, and fiber fragments. 
     
     
       40. The method of claim 30 including inducing said first energy field to exhibit generally two-dimensional flow characteristics while passing through said sorting channel. 
     
     
       41. An apparatus for cleaning and sorting fibers into factions having designated properties comprising: a cleaning and sorting channel including a carrier rotatively driven in a first direction through said cleaning and sorting channel, said carrier having teeth arranged over its outer surface, said cleaning and sorting channel further including a sorting area communicating with an inlet channel and at least an outlet channel, said inlet and said outlet channels being arranged on generally opposite sides of said carrier;   an air propelling device producing a first energy field;   said first energy field passing in a second direction generally opposite to said first direction through said inlet channel, said sorting area and said outlet channel;   a fiber feed operative to deliver dust, impurities and separated fibers of various lengths into said inlet channel to be engaged by said first energy field;   a doffer arranged adjacent said carrier outside of said cleaning and sorting channel; whereby,   said various length fibers, dust and impurities fed from said fiber feed device and engaged by said first energy field are carried through said inlet channel and propelled onto said teeth of said carrier with said first energy field continuing to pass over said carrier and out through said outlet channel with at least certain fibers of said propelled fibers engaging with and being latched onto said teeth while at least said dust and impurities are carried out through said outlet channel by said first energy field while said carrier moves said engaged certain fibers to said doffer where said doffer doffs said certain fibers from said teeth.   
     
     
       42. The device of claim 41 wherein said carrier comprises a cylinder and said inlet channel is aligned to deliver said fibers, dust and impurities non-tangentially to said cylinder causing substantially all of said fibers to be latched on said teeth. 
     
     
       43. The device of claim 41 wherein said carrier comprises a cylinder and said inlet channel is aligned to deliver said fibers, dust and impurities generally tangentially to said cylinder causing primarily the longer length fibers of said fibers to be latched on said teeth. 
     
     
       44. The device of claim 41 wherein said doffer comprises a doffing cylinder which mechanically removes said latched fibers from said teeth. 
     
     
       45. Apparatus for cleaning and sorting fibers into factions including; a cleaning and sorting channel comprising a housing, an endless support rotating in a first direction having teeth arranged over its outer surface, an intake and a first and second outlet;   a fiber feed connected with said intake, said fiber feed being operative to feed fibers into said intake;   an air guide directing a stream of air over at least a portion of said outer surface;   a control plate associated with said air guide for dividing said stream of air into at least first and second air streams, said first air stream passing over a portion of said outer surface in said first direction and said second air stream passing over a second portion of said outer surface in a second direction whereby,   said intake delivers fibers from said fiber fed onto said rotating teeth where said fibers are latched with said teeth of said support, said support operating to sequentially carry said fibers through first said second air stream which acts to separate dust impurities and certain fibers from said teeth and through said first air stream which acts to doff said latched other fibers from said teeth.   
     
     
       46. The device of claim 45 wherein said fiber feed includes a nipper plate and a feed roll, said fiber feed operating to deliver a web of opened fibers into said intake. 
     
     
       47. The device of claim 45 wherein said intake includes a fiber latching area in which a latching plate integrates said fiber web onto said teeth. 
     
     
       48. The device of claim 45 including a sorting channel in which said second air stream separates said dust, trash, and short fibers from longer fibers and latches said longer fiber onto said teeth, said first outlet connecting with a first end of said sorting channel to remove from said channel said second air stream carrying said dust, impurities and certain short fibers. 
     
     
       49. The device of claim 45 wherein said control plate acts to deliver said second air stream to said sorting channel from a second end located opposite said first end. 
     
     
       50. The device of claim 45 including mounting means mounting said control plate for adjustment relative said housing and said air guide, whereby the volume of said first and second air streams passing over said support surface may be adjusted.